March 12, 2011
Hemis Fair Park, San Antonio, TX
www.luminariasa.org
Luminaria is San Antonio's annual celebration of art and artists. Held in March and overseen by San Antonio's creative leaders, it is free of charge and showcases all art forms in an outdoor setting and inside various venues downtown. Luminaria spotlights San Antonio's cultural assets for local citizens and visitors alike and is made possible through the generosity of artists, arts organizations, volunteers, and public and private donations.
This year, for the first time, the San Antonio Office of Cultural Affairs invited three Taiwanese lantern masters to participate in Luminaria. These three Taiwanese craftsmen, Lu Pingcheng, Wang Yao-teng, and Lin Chung-yao, created a monumental work of lantern art entitled Seeing Life's Inner Glow, combining contemporary and traditional Eastern touches. This unique work showcases Taiwan's art of lantern making, a craft rooted in traditional folk arts but enriched by modern technology; the result was a stunning piece of contemporary art. In addition, attendees at the festival released hundreds of flying? sky lanterns,? a fitting prelude to Taiwan's centennial celebration series? Taiwan-Splendid for One Hundred.?